Crack—
My mind was filled with confusion over an incomprehensible situation.
The news that reached me was so absurd that it was almost unbelievable.
The Empire had ended the war with the Kaladwen Kingdom and claimed the glory of victory.
It was simply impossible.
No matter how quickly things progressed, it would take at least five years to truly wrap up a war.
Behind the powerful Kaladwen Kingdom, known as the kingdom of black magic, stood numerous allies.
Even if we played the shortest route in a game, arriving at peace at this point was nearly impossible.
Yet, the Empire proudly declared the end of the war with the head of the Kaladwen king hanging on the walls.
“W-what happened?”
A tremor escaped my voice without my notice.
If it had only been news of a ceasefire, I wouldn’t have been so anxious.
However, the reason for my current anxiety was something entirely different.
Lilian had fully awakened as a Saint.
It was said that she demonstrated her powerful holy powers by healing hundreds of soldiers on the battlefield, even reattaching severed arms, making a significant contribution to the victory of the war.
Upon returning to the Empire, Lilian was granted the title of Countess and even bestowed with the title of ‘Savior.’
“That’s strange!”
In the beginning, Lilian’s stats were ridiculously low.
Aside from her high divinity and mental strength, she was practically no different from an ordinary woman.
While Lilian was a character who would later awaken as a Saint with formidable abilities, she was supposed to devote herself to quiet prayer at that stage.
And yet, she had performed more feats than Viviana, known as the ghost of the battlefield?
This was beyond just a deviation from the source material.
Crack—
“Savior, what even is that…!”
Savior. What an utterly juvenile title.
I had never even heard of such a title, nor had it ever existed. There was no ‘Savior’ title in the game either.
It was a bluntly naive title, so straightforward it could be considered foolish.
But with such a title came an unpredictable power.
This was beyond merely the realm of status.
Nobles and commoners alike, even royalty, would not dare treat Lilian with disrespect.
She would be treated like a true savior.
With this incident, Lilian would gain a status comparable to that of a high priestess.
Many would regard her as the messenger of the goddess.
A holy light would shine upon her path, leaving only endless blessings and happiness in its wake.
Just like in the later stages of the game.
Crack—
“She should just be quietly praying!”
If my predictions held, the place the Saint who left the high society would head towards was undoubtedly the temple.
It was absurd that the Saint, who should have quietly dedicated herself to prayer, was now on the battlefield.
In the game, there was no option for Lilian to be on the battlefield at all.
The gentle-natured Lilian had no reason to step into a war zone, one that takes lives and represents hostility, nor any desire to fight others.
But she had stepped onto the battlefield and returned, victorious.
And she was granted the title of Countess, a rank even higher than my mother’s.
What if—
If it somehow came to light that I was the one who spread rumors about Lilian…
“That can’t be!”
I forced a smile onto my face, which trembled weakly.
There was no way that would happen.
None of the countless rumors surrounding Lilian had ever come from my lips.
I had merely guided the stories to flow from behind the scenes. Even if Lilian traced the origins of the rumors, it would never lead back to me.
The image engraved in high society was that of a pure character who could not even think of slander.
“Except… there’s one thing on my mind…”
Arien Kaltree.
Once Lilian’s close friend and the very person who had driven her out of the high society.
Having skillfully incited her, Lilian grew disillusioned with the social scene and never showed up again.
Of course, I had done nothing wrong back then.
Out of a ‘genuine’ desire for Arien not to suffer, I had merely expressed my ‘concern’ that being next to Lilian would only cause her pain.
But if that woman, Arien, were to spread useless gossip and make Lilian suspect me, it would be a complicating situation.
“…I’ve been careless.”
I had known that someday Lilian would awaken as a Saint.
Yet, I had let my guard down without a second thought.
Lilian’s complete awakening was still far off, and I believed she would forgive me even if she found out about my actions.
After all, Lilian was kind enough to even strive to forgive all the noble ladies who had tormented her, including the cruel Mardian.
But now that the original story had deviated so much, no one could assure that such naive compassion remained.
It would be wise to prepare for the worst.
I had kept my distance from Arien for the past year.
There was hardly anything to gain from Arien, who possessed nothing but exceptional swordsmanship and chivalry.
Still, I thought it necessary to keep her at arm’s length to prevent any unnecessary actions.
I threw on my coat and stepped out of my bedroom.
I lightly tapped the shoulder of a maid cleaning the corridor and spoke.
“Could you prepare a carriage? I think I’ll be going out.”
Gradually, as our financial situation stabilized, our Baron family began to hire employees again.
While the numbers were small, we had sufficient servants to tidy up the mansion.
“Going out? Where will you be going, young lady?”
“…Do I really have to tell you that?”
My voice, escaping my lips, was cold and frigid.
What could I do?
With the irritation boiling up from the Lilian situation, even a trivial commoner was getting under my skin.
My mother might be excellent at administration, but it seemed she paid little attention to training the mansion’s servants.
“I-I’m so sorry, young lady…”
“It’s fine. Just please be quick about it?”
“Yes, yes!”
The flustered maid hurriedly dashed out of the corridor. While waiting for the carriage, I lightly sprayed some subtle-fragrant perfume on myself.
“…It wouldn’t hurt to prepare a decent gift too, would it?”
I opened the wardrobe door in the corner of my bedroom and unlocked the hidden compartment at the bottom with a key.
Inside were various sparkling gemstones sitting proudly.
These were my precious treasures that I had obtained from noble ladies up to this point.
Just selling these treasures would allow me to live extravagantly for the rest of my life.
“I’ll take the one that looks the least expensive… yeah, this will do.”
I carefully wrapped one of the necklaces that wouldn’t look out of place at the market in a box.
Honestly, part of me wanted to just take the gem out and present that, but that wouldn’t do.
[The carriage is ready, young lady.]
Responding to the maid’s announcement from outside, I immediately stepped out the door.
I gave a brief command to the coachman to head towards Kaltree Mansion and climbed into the carriage.
I knew that visiting without prior contact was against etiquette, but I didn’t mind since Arien would surely welcome me with open arms.
Once I settled into the carriage, I took a moment to relax.
‘I must firmly etch it in Arien’s heart.’
It was entirely her own will that led to the betrayal of Lilian, and I had never interfered in that matter.
Actually, that was the truth.
I had merely worried for her, and it was Arien’s choice to abandon Lilian.
In the end, Arien had gained quite a lot.
The family’s reputation had been restored, and thanks to my connection, she had naturally stepped into the factions of Versha and Sharione.
There, Arien would have interacted with numerous noble ladies and forged new connections.
Perhaps Arien should actually be grateful to me.
I had essentially given wings to a naive noble lady who wielded nothing but a sword, so she wouldn’t be cast aside in high society.
Perhaps due to deepening thoughts, I didn’t even notice when the carriage had arrived at Kaltree Marquis’ residence.
Before disembarking, I took out the prepared mirror and practiced my natural expression.
Adding a slightly seductive smile to a pure and bright smile, I completed a more charming face.
Soon, a knight in shining silver armor opened the carriage door and extended his hand towards me.
I carefully took the knight’s hand and got down from the carriage, following the butler’s guidance into the mansion.
Thanks to my numerous visits and the favors shown before, the servants of Kaltree Marquis’ residence welcomed me warmly.
Finally arriving in front of Arien’s room, the butler gently knocked on the door with a warm smile.
“To have two precious guests visit today, this is indeed a celebration.”
“…Huh? Is there another guest aside from me?”
“Hehe, Lady Blanc will also be quite surprised shortly.”
As soon as the butler’s smiling words finished, the door to the room slowly opened. Soon, Arien’s blue eyes appeared, staring straight at me.
“T-Tina?!”
“Arien! I missed you so much!”
With a bright smile, I lightly threw myself into Arien’s arms.
She immediately reached out her hands to embrace me, though there was a strange awkwardness in her action.
“T-Tina, right now…”
And I quickly realized the reason for it.
“Oh my, what a surprising coincidence.”
A melodious voice filled with a sweet tone echoed throughout the room, as if it was a whisper.
I slowly lifted my head from Arien’s shoulder.
And as soon as I saw the face in front of me, my heart sank cold.
“It’s such a delight to see you.”
Her pink eyes held a charming vitality, yet merely facing her made my body freeze as those eyes bore into me.
“Wh-why are you here…?”
The woman seated elegantly on the sofa inside the room stood up gracefully.
With each step she took toward me, there was no hint of clumsiness left in her demeanor.
“Oh my, would there be any special reason needed to visit my friend?”
“A friend… you say?”
Don’t lie.
Arien clearly abandoned you.
There’s no way you two are friends.
“Then, dear Lady Blanc,”
The Savior, Saint Lilian Eldoria.
“Do you perhaps have business with my friend?”
She looked at me with a gentle smile.
